Bowling for credits

MCTCHICAGO TRIBUNE

How's this for a cool college experience? Earn three credit hours for being part of the Super Bowl.

It happened for 10 students in the sports management program at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla. They spent the last semester learning what it takes to put on huge sporting events. On Super Bowl Sunday, they worked with a hospitality company to throw a pre-game party near Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

The group also helped run a charity golf tournament and a celebrity flag football challenge. They staffed the NFL Experience, an interactive fan area outside the stadium. The only thing missing was the game itself.

"There are very, very few tickets available to the general public, and demand is greater than supply," said Ted Curtis, assistant professor of sports management. "Ticket prices shoot up into untouchable ranges."

But the students, who paid $1,500 each to attend, said they don't mind. They were not there to watch a game.

"Just to be involved in the makings of the whole Super Bowl ... is a great experience," said Daniel Silverstein, 22. "If you're going to work in sports management ... you have to understand what goes into making an event like this."

Lynn is known for offering exciting classes. This month, some students earned credit for staging an off-Broadway play in New York, while others participated in a presidential inauguration program in Washington.

During the past two years, Curtis took students on a class focused on putting on the "Final Four" climax of the national college basketball tournament, and part of the package included attending the games.

Students said some classmates questioned whether these are legitimate classes. They are, said Kristin Grey, a junior who attended the Final Four last year.